San Diego Sheriff Shopping for Riot Control Munitions

In the wake of clashes between San Diego police and Occupy San Diego demonstrations, the county, on behalf of San Diego county Sheriff Bill Gore, has issued a request for quotations from vendors willing to supply an array of "Special Impact and Tactical Gas Munitions."

The request, issued today, calls for responses by November 16.

"The Sheriff (sic) Department is seeking a manufacturer's distributor to provide Defense Technology (Def-Tech) special impact and tactical gas munitions for a one-year contract and two option years.

"The Sheriff's Department conducts continuous safety and munitions tests of less lethal weapons and ammunition from multiple vendors and manufacturers and has found that Defense Technology ammunition: beanbag, single baton, sponge projectiles, and tactical gas munitions to be most effective on subjects while at the same time less likely to cause unintended injuries...," says the request.

The list of desired weaponry includes an order of 30 "Riot Control Grenade CS" cannisters.

"Used primarily by tactical teams, it is designed to penetrate barriers, such as windows, particleboard doors, and interior walls. Upon impacting the barrier, the nose cone ruptures and instantaneously delivers the agent payload inside of a structure.

"In a tactical deployment situation, the 40 mm Ferret® Rounds are primarily used to dislodge barricaded subjects from confined areas. Its purpose is to minimize the risks to all parties through pain compliance, temporary discomfort and/or incapacitation of potentially violent or dangerous subjects."